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burn one's bridges

To destroy one's path, connections, reputation, opportunities, etc.

Etymology:

  • Originally in military sense of intentionally cutting off one's own retreat to commit oneself to a course of action, later used primarily to mean “alienate former friends”.
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Even if you are dismissed from a job in the worst way, take care to not burn your bridges with unseemly comments on the way out, since you never know who you will meet again.

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Submitted on September 01, 2009

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brenne die brücken

brûler ses ponts

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Nearby phrases

Some more phrases from our dictionary similar to burn one's bridges

burn upburn outburn upburn offburn outburn offBurn the Midnight Oilburn everything russian except the sour…burn the candle at both endsburn some rubberbreak one's duckburn a hole in one's pocketburn to a crispburn the candle at both ends

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    "burn one's bridges." Phrases.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 21 Nov. 2024. <https://www.phrases.com/phrase/burn-ones-bridges_2664>.

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